Behistun T 09

Behistun or Bisotun: town in Iran, site of several ancient monuments, including a famous inscription by the Persian king Darius I the Great (r.522-486 BCE), the great organizer of the Achaemenid Empire.

On these pages, you can find drawings, a transliteration and an adapted version of the King/Thompson translation of the inscription.

Column i, lines 72-81

  1. iya \ ima \ tya \ adam \ akunavam \ pasâva \ yathâ \ xšâyathiya \ abavam \ thâtiy
  2. \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ yathâ \ adam \ Gaumâtam \ tyam \ magum \ avâjanam \ pa
  3. sâva \ I martiya \ Âçina \ nâma \ Upadarmahyâ \ puça \ hauv \ udapatatâ \ Ûvjai
  4. y \ kârahyâ \ avathâ \ athaha \ adam \ Ûvjaiy \ xšâyathiya \ amiy \ pasâva \ Ûv
  5. jiyâ \ hamiçiyâ \ abava \ abiy \ avam \ Âçinam \ ašiyava \ hauv \ xšâyathiya
  6. abava \ Ûvjaiy \ utâ \ I martiya \ Bâbiruviya \ Naditabaira \ nâma \ Ainairahy
  7. â \ puça \ hauv \ udapatati \ Bibirauv \ kiram avafi \ adurujiya \ adam \ Nab
  8. ukudracara \ amiy \ hya \ Nabunaitahyâ \ puça \ pasâva \ kâra \ hya \ Bâbiruviya
  9. \ haruva \ abiy \ avam \ Naditabairam \ ašiyava \ Bâbiruš \ hamiçiya \ abava \ x
  10. šaçam \ tya \ Bâbirauv \ hauv \ agarbâyatâ \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâya

(15) King Darius says: This was what I did after I became king.

(16) King Darius says: After I had slain Gaumâta, the Magian, a certain man named ššina, the son of Upadarma, raised a rebellion in Elam, and he spoke thus unto the people of Elam: 'I am king in Elam.' Thereupon the people of Elam became rebellious, and they went over unto that ššina: he became king in Elam. And a certain Babylonian named Nidintu-Bêl, the son of Kîn-Zêr, raised a rebellion in Babylon: he lied to the people, saying: 'I am Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabonidus.' Then did all the province of Babylonia go over to Nidintu-Bêl, and Babylonia rose in rebellion. He seized on the kingdom of Babylonia.note